The family marked Monica’s century with a meal at Marco Pierre White’s The Swan Inn in Aughton, west Lancashire.

Monica was born in 1911 and grew up in the famous Scotland Road community.

She left St Anthony's school at 14 and worked in Alderman's Dairy and Rediffusion Radio before entering the Ministry of Supply where she met future husband, Philip.

Monica remembers the family struggling to make ends meet during World War I and the subsequent austerity.

Monica has spent nearly half a century in her Grosvenor Avenue home which remains a hub for the family.

Reflecting on her life that has survived two world wars, economic depressions, five monarchs and the loss of a beloved husband , Monica decided her most precious memories were the ordinary days she spent with her family.

She said: “I remember the love of my mother (Mary Kate Whitehead) and my father (Henry Charles Whitehead) and the laughter and mischief of playing with my sisters Eileen & Imelda and brother Gerald.

“It’s wonderful to celebrate 100 years, but in some ways, I will be glad when it’s all over.”

“People just got on with it and supported each other any which way they could. Grandson Philip Carr, who grew up in Crosby, said: “The birthday meal was the proudest days of all our lives.

“Monica has been our family’s rock for decades, and we would not be the people we are today but for her.

“She is also the last of a classic Crosby generation that is sadly slipping away.”